NIGERIAN NOTCH

His Eminence, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has said it is time for Nigeria to change to a system of government that would reduce corruption and bring government closer to the people. The Emeritus Catholic Bishop of Abuja stated this at a policy dialogue on new governance structure for Nigeria, organised by Abuja School Social and Political Thought (ASSPT), in Abuja. “It is time for a change. One thing is definitely sure, we cannot continue the way we are going. If we decide to retain the system we have now, it must change the way it is been practiced. “If the easiest way to change is to change the system, then let’s go ahead and change the system to parliamentary, with all its advantages and disadvantages,” he added. According to him, anything that will bring government closer to the people, reduce discretion for stealing and corruption will be good for the nation. “My understanding is that the parliamentary system is built in such a way that will not be so easy to steal such h...

It was the end of an era as the late Dr. Herbert Wigwe, the co-founder and Chief Executive of Access Bank Group; his wife, Chizoba, and 29-year-old son, Chizzy, were laid to rest in a private cemetery. The burial ground is located within the sprawling private home he built inside the premises of the Wigwe University in his country home of Isiokpo in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State. Recall that the deceased were on board the ill-fated helicopter that crashed between the boundaries of Nevada and California in the United States after an 11-hour flight from London on February 9, 2024. In his tribute to the departed business mogul, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, described late Dr. Wigwe as a great mentor who positively impacted the younger generations to greatness. He spoke at the funeral ceremony on Saturday at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Lion of Judah Parish, Isiokpo. Akpabio said Wigwe had left behind indelible legacies that would be dif...

President Bola Tinubu-led government is working towards submitting an application for Nigeria to join international organisation, BRICS. This was made known in a post shared via social media on Friday by the international union. “Nigeria will apply to join BRICS in 2024,” the union wrote. BRICS countries include major world powers, such as China and Russia, and countries which are influential on their continent, such as South Africa and Brazil. The expanded group has a combined population of about 3.5 billion, or 45% of the world’s inhabitants. The group was designed to bring together the world’s most important developing countries, to challenge the political and economic power of the wealthier nations of North America and Western Europe. What this move means is that if Nigeria eventually becomes a member of BRICS, the West African country would be trading its major exporting product which is oil in Naira. In February, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, stated that trad...

 The South East has Sen. Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah to thank for the passage of the South East Development Commission Bill.  The import of the passage of the South East Development Commission Bill sponsored by Sen. Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, remains gratifying. The South East Development Commission Bill sponsored by Sen. Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, to my mind is more than additional state for the South East.   What "No Victor No Vanquished" could not do, will be attempted by the South East Development Commission Bill sponsored by Sen. Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah. What the 3Rs: Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation could not do, will be attempted by the South East Development Commission Bill sponsored by Sen. Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah. Recall that the civil war was fought here, right here in the South East (old Eastern region), but they started building bridges in Lagos, amazing! Construction wasn't happening here but in places not physically affected b...

Like a gold fish with no hiding place, Nigeria's President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has been designated to be in the Preparatory Committee for the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament. According to a statement issued by the General Secretary of the African Parliamentary Union (APU) to the General Secretary of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU), Mr Martin Chungong, "Mr General Secretary, I am pleased to bring to your attention that after the virtual meeting of the Geo Political Group, held on March 7th, 2024, the following members have been designated to be in the Preparatory Committee for the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament." Other members of the committee are, Madam Carolina Cerqueira, Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola; Mr Adams Bictogo, Speaker of the National Assembly of Coted'Ivoire and Mr Brahim Boughali, Speaker, National Popular Assembly of Algeria.  Senator Akpabio was at the last conference of the...

“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die;……….A time to weep, and a time laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance”. For the  immediate family of Herbert Wigwe, loved ones, friends and colleagues nothing  could underscore this verse in the bible  than today’s (Saturday, march 9, 2024) gathering at Isiokpo in Ikwerre local government area of Rivers state.  After 58 years of earthly sojourn, Dr. Herbert Wigwe takes his final rest today. “But death came too late”, according to the Ikwerre Council chairman, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, because “he had achieved all that most people of his age could not achieve”. To millions of his admirers, Wigwe died too young. This is premised on the fact that the Holy Book gives 70 years as the youngest period a devote Christian should live on earth.  It is on this understanding that the world converges on Isiokpo to mourn one of its best in all hum...

Herbert Wigwe, wife, son’s bodies arrive for burial (Photos) The bodies of late Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, and son have arrived in Nigeria for burial. The bodies of the Wigwes arrived at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers State, from the United States America, US, today, Friday, the Daily Post reported. Wigwe, 57, died in a helicopter crash in the United States on February 9. His wife, Chizoba, and son, Chizi, also died in the crash. Also, the former President of Nigeria Exchange Group, Mr. Abimbola Ogunbanjo, was in the fatal crash. Since their death, tributes have continued to pour in for Wigwe as sympathizers recalled his deeds while alive. The funeral of the trio will be held on Saturday at Isiokpo, his hometown, in Ikwerre LGA of Rivers State. The pictures from the airport are courtesy of Daily Post: Personalities have not stopped paying tribute to late Wigwe. President Bola Tinubu described the death of Mr...

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has called on the government to approve a new minimum wage that is commensurate with the cost of living in the country. While insisting on a living wage for workers in the country, the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, in his speech at the 11th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria in Abuja, asked the Federal Government to allow salaries and wages to be commensurate with the cost of living. This is as the Acting National President of the Medical and Health Workers Union, MHWU, Comrade Kabiru Minjibir, has declared that anarchy is looming in the country if nothing is urgently done to tackle the present hardship. Recall that the NLC, had on Thursday, presented N709, 000 for consideration as the new national minimum wage at the public hearing for the North Central. The Trade Union Congress, TUC,  on the other hand presented N447,000 as its proposal for consideration as the new national minimum...

The availability of gas remains the best option for Nigeria’s attainability of energy’s stability. The Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs. Olu Veŕheijen, has said while briefing journalists in Abuja on Friday. According to the Presidential aide, gas is more cost competitive compared to other options in the energy market.

A retired army officer and 15 others were reportedly killed by suspected armed herdsmen in a Thursday evening attack on Wandor, Mbaikyor community in the Mbalom Council Ward of Gwer East Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue State.  The invaders were also reported to have razed over 50 houses, huts, farmlands, and food barns in 11 settlements in the attack.  The latest attack came about six years after a similar attack by armed herdsmen on St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Ukpor Parish, Mbalom Gwer East LGA claimed the lives of two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners.  A survivor of the attack who spoke on condition of anonymity said the well-armed marauders, numbering about 40, stormed the community at about 7 p.m. and opened fire on the locals who were taken unaware.  He said, “They came through Mbasombo into our village. There is a Fulani settlement close to the boundary between Ihyravye and Ayar. We know the Alhaji who has caused this because we had earli...

Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri, has unveiled plans to expel no fewer than 238 students for their alleged involvement in a scandalous scheme revolving around counterfeit admission letters. In a stern warning to both the perpetrators and collaborators, the institution’s public relations officer, Nze Ralph Njoku, said the affected students, in collusion with their parents and guardians, orchestrated a sophisticated ploy to manipulate the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and IMSU websites, fabricating false admission letters to feign enrollment at the prestigious institution. Njoku underscored the gravity of the situation, emphasising that the individuals parading these fraudulent documents are not recognised as bonafide students of Imo State University. “Parents should note that the actions of these swindlers had greatly jeopardized the future of their children and wards. “We know our students who are legally admitted into the university,” the statement aff...

In a matter of hours, two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is expected to face Cameroon-born Francis Ngannou in a bout that holds a lot to the career of both fighters. For Joshua, it is a career defining moment as a loss to the Mixed Martial Arts champion will definitely see to him being dumped out the glamourous fight against fellow Briton, Tyson Fury. Joshua has expressed his readiness for the fight with Ngannou. When asked about his feelings heading into the fight, Joshua responded, “Normal, itching to get in there now. Not long left.” This fight will be Joshua’s fourth in under twelve months. He attributes his success to staying active, stating, “Activity is the key. On your way up, you’re active, you’re showcasing. Your skills tend to get to the top and it all slows down. First time since 2017 I’ve been fighting three times in a year. It’s crazy, but the activity will pay off and I think everything’s going to work out for me Friday, for sure.” Joshua also...

Organised Labour was divided yesterday, over what the new minimum wage should be. The lack of unanimity was evident at public hearings organised by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, TCNMW, across four of the six geo-political zones of the country. In the South-West, while leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, proposed N794,000, those of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, proposed N497,000 as minimum wage as the Director-General, Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, MINILS, Ilorin, Kwara State, Comrade Issa Aremu, said the range should be between N120,000 and N200,000. In the South-East, the NLC said it preferred the new minimum wage to be N540,000, while the TUC suggested N447,000. However, South-South workers proposed N850,000, with their North-West counterparts angling for N485,000 minimum wage. This happened as North-West governors shunned the parley with their South-West colleagues, saying it will be hard to sustain higher wages for...

Global ICT company, Huawei, has announced its 2024 digital talent development initiatives as part of the company’s continuous effort to develop talent in the area of ICT and equip beneficiaries them with the skills to advance their society. The initiatives as revealed at the Huawei Talent Summit held during the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024. The list of the initiatives includes the global ITU-Huawei Generation Connect Young Leadership Programme; the joint project between Huawei and UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL); and Huawei Cloud’s startups programme. With the summit themed “I C Talent: Nurturing Excellence in a Digital World”, representatives from international organizations like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and UNESCO, government officials from Greece, Kenya, and Mexico, female industry leaders, entrepreneurs participating in the Huawei Cloud Startup Programme, and participants in Seeds for the Future and several top competiti...

Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC has proposed the sum of Eight hundred and fifty thousand Naira as new minimum wage for workers in the South -South geopolitical zone. Chairman of NLC, Akwa Ibom State Council, Comrade Sunny James  presented the position of the zone  on Thursday in Uyo, the state capital during the zonal South- South Public hearings organised by the Tripartite Committee on National minimum wage. James stated: “The standard of living for every worker has become suicidal and strangulating. Every single item a worker depends on for sustenance has gone out of reach- Foodstuffs , transportation, school fees, accommodation, medical care, clothing, even ordinary satchet water. “There is hunger and anger in the land necessitated by the unfavourable policies of government, thereby reducing the purchasing power of workers in relation to the extant National minimum wage. The increased crime and insecurity is also associated with the increasing economic hardship. “T...

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal road project site has been handed over to Hitech Construction The Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, on Thursday officially handed over the Lagos-Calabar Highway Coastal Road project site to Hitech Construction Nigeria Limited. Umahi made the formal transfer when he visited the construction site to inspect the progress of work done. He said that the project was expected to be completed within 36 months, with Sections two and three running concurrently. Recall that the Federal Executive Council on Feb. 26 approved construction of Lagos-Port Harcourt-Calabar Coastal Superhighway to Messrs Hitech Construction Africa. It had said then that the first phase, made up of 47 kms, would begin in Lagos. Umahi, speaking on Thursday, emphasised the importance of on-time project completion and warned that no additional payments would be made for delays. He said, “Let me also say that today is March 7, and I am officially handing over the site to Hitech Construct...

Bandits who attacked the Kuriga community in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Thursday morning, have kidnapped over 200 students including some teachers at the LEA Primary School Kuriga, while they were concluding the morning assembly. According to a local who craved anonymity, ” the incident happened in the morning at about 8. 30 am when the students were about to conclude the morning assembly. The bandits came from different parts of the village and encircled the school premises.” ” The bandits kidnapped over 200 students, both primary pupils and secondary school students who were moved from a location outside the community to the primary school due to the fear of bandits attack.” “They also went away with a teacher, Isa They shot one student, Rabilu who was rushed to the Birnin Gwari hospital. He survived. “ “They gathered all the children and forced them to move towards the North Eastern part of the community, on foot.” ” The entire community is a deep co...

Passengers, Thursday ran for their dear lives when a fire broke out at the terminal of the E-Arrival Finger of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos. It was gathered that the fire outbreak led to a power outage at the airport. Eyewitnesses  reports have it that the incident caused panic among workers and passengers at the airport as travellers hastily left the place which was engulfed by smoke for the departure hall. However, normal operations have started at the terminal as firefighters have put out the fire.

Armed bandits, on Thursday morning, invaded Kuriga town of Chikun local government area of Kaduna State, attacking an LEA Primary School and abducting scores of pupils and some staff. Unconfirmed reports said the Head Teacher of the school and some other staff were said to be among the victims. It was gathered that the incident happened at about 8:20am immediately after the routine assembly session. According to Daily Trust, the tragic incident which happened at about 8:20 am immediately after the assembly on Thursday, was thrown the area into pandemonium as residents were hounded with panic. The junior and secondary sections relocated to the school building inside the Kuriga town a few years ago when insecurity worsened which led to the abandonment of their former structure situated outside the town. Confirming the incident, a resident called Shitu, said most of the pupils ran out of their classes when they sighted the assailants on the school premises. Another resident, L...

Chairman of the Lagos State Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mrs. Funmi Sessi has recommended the payment of at least N794,000 minimum wage to public workers. Sessi made the recommendation in the memorandum submitted at the South-West, Geo-Political Zone, Public Hearings, organised by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, TCNMW, chaired by the Minister of Finance, and Coordinating Minister for Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, held in LTV Ground, Agindingbi, Ikeja, Lagos. Sessi said the call for the review has become expedient in view of the rising cost of living across economic sectors, hence the need for an upward review of the minimum wage for Nigerian workers that is sustainable. The unions described the stance of some governors’ inability to pay the minimum wage as “unacceptable.”

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has threatened non-performing distribution companies (discos) with licence revocation as Nigerians suffer power outage in the country. “It is disheartening to witness the decline in power supply despite the concerted efforts to improve the situation,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday. “The Ministry has been exerting pressure on the Generating Companies (GENCOs) to enhance their performance, resulting in a recent increase in generation to over 4000MW. Despite this progress, certain distribution companies are failing to adequately distribute the power supplied by TCN, while vandalism of power infrastructure exacerbates the problem in regions such as Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan.”   As the Minister of Power, I am deeply concerned about the deteriorating electricity supply across the country. In response to this pressing issue, I have summoned the Chief Executives of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC...

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has announced a $1 billion reconstruction plan for Tincan Island, Apapa, Rivers, Onne, Warri, and Calabar port complexes. The NPA also allocated funds for similar reconstruction as part of the new port development plan for the Badagry deep seaport, Snake Island, Burutu, and Ondo deep seaports. The plans were disclosed on Wednesday, in a document titled ‘Consolidation of Superior Performance at the Nigerian Ports Authority 2023 — A Synopsis of the Authority’s Performance Improvement 2022-2023’. On September 4, 2023, Adegboyega Oyetola, minister of marine and blue economy, had said terminal operators would be engaged in the reconstruction of ports, as they are “almost collapsing”. Oyetola said he was deeply concerned about the deplorable condition of infrastructure at the ports. Speaking further about plans for the country’s ports, the NPA, in the document, said it has implemented the port community system (PCS) and the national single windo...

President, African Bar Association, AfBA, Hannibal Uwaifo said: “I therefore believe that the latest discussions about the amendment of the Constitution to create State Police is an afterthought and is against the background of the failure of the almighty Federal Government of Nigeria to resolve the serious security challenges which have defied the half baked, half hearted solutions and threatening the foundation of the Country. “Be that as it is, the decision is not too late and enables each State to design and weave security architecture around their territory. It will enable quick decision making. Those in charge of technical and tactical decisions will be those known to the People of that State. It may not eliminate corruption which is presently very rife within the Nigerian Police but it will reduce it. The greatest benefit is that it will set Nigeria on the March to true Federalism.”

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, yesterday flagged -off the distribution of relief materials to victims of the 2022/2023 flood victims  in Akwa Ibom state. The materials received by the agency in the state for distribution include bags of 25kg  rice, canoes, bags of salt, roof sheets and household items among others.  The commissioner representing the state on Governing Board of the NDDC, Abasiandikan Nkono who performed the flag-off of distribution in Uyo, said the gesture was part of the Commission’s move at alleviating the plight of those affected by the flood disaster in Niger Delta region. Nkono said the Flood victims from the 31 local government areas of the state will take turns to get the items. He stressed that the commission was in sync with the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of the president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, and assured that the federal government will continue to identify with  the state  at all times.  ...

The Police Service Commission (PSC), has approved the promotion of 1,607 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), to the next rank of Superintendents of Police (SPs). The promotion of the DSPs to SPs saw the elevation of 158 officers in the professional cadre  which included 105 in the communication unit, 22 in transport, 10 medical officers,  nine nurses and another nine from works. The other professionals promoted to Superintendents were six workshop officers, three maritime, and one each from medical and dental units and band. A total number of 1,423 DSPs were promoted in the general duty cadre. The spokesperson of the commission, Ikechukwu Ani said, “The commission had earlier stepped down the consideration of the officers’ promotion at its last management meeting where other recommendations were considered, when it noticed some discrepancies in the list.” Meanwhile, the chairman of the commission, Dr Solomon Arase, said the commission has restored the dignity ...